diff --git a/isofit/utils/add_HRRR_profiles_to_modtran_config.py b/isofit/utils/add_HRRR_profiles_to_modtran_config.py
index bb64f248..426c5ead 100644
--- a/isofit/utils/add_HRRR_profiles_to_modtran_config.py
+++ b/isofit/utils/add_HRRR_profiles_to_modtran_config.py
@@ -27,7 +27,6 @@
 
 import click
 import numpy as np
-import pygrib
 
 from isofit.core.common import json_load_ascii
 
@@ -297,6 +296,13 @@ def download_HRRR(
 
 
 def get_HRRR_data(filename):
+    try:
+        import pygrib
+    except ImportError:
+        raise ImportError("""
+            pygrib is not installed automatically with this fork of isofit.
+            Please install pygrib to use this util.
+        """)
     grbs = pygrib.open(filename)
 
     msgs = [str(grb) for grb in grbs]
diff --git a/recipe/environment_isofit_basic.yml b/recipe/environment_isofit_basic.yml
index 61f9c1f9..0baa28df 100644
--- a/recipe/environment_isofit_basic.yml
+++ b/recipe/environment_isofit_basic.yml
@@ -12,7 +12,6 @@ dependencies:
   - pandas>=0.24
   - pep8>=1.7.1
   - pre-commit
-  - pygrib
   - pytest>=3.5.1
   - python-xxhash<3
   - pyyaml>=5.1.2
diff --git a/setup.cfg b/setup.cfg
index f99445f0..0415b7cd 100644
--- a/setup.cfg
+++ b/setup.cfg
@@ -25,7 +25,6 @@ install_requires =
   numpy >= 1.20
   pandas >= 0.24.0
   pep8 >= 1.7.1
-  pygrib
   pytest >= 3.5.1
   pyyaml >= 5.3.2
   ray >= 1.2.0